Wichita eagle., 1887-06-08
LIVELY LYONS.

Our town and county still keep on In the
even tenor of their way. their great aim in
life being evidently to illustrate the mean
ing of the word excelsior"
Since the late rains the products OF
mother earth are making booming
growth. Wheat, rye and barley are all
headed cut, speaking of harvest near at
hand; the oat crop grows finely; corn,
broom:corn, potatoes and various other
field crops are doing their level best; fruit
of different kinds makes better showing
than for several years in the past; and as a
natural consequence of all this, the farmers
are smiling and happy.
Much raw prairie has been turned this
season, both by farmers who have just
come into the country, and by older resi-
dents who have through the tribulations
and trials of frontier life, come up to the
point where they can branch out to larger
things All this means, of course, more
produce to ship out of the county, bringing
more money into it, with the consequent
more comforts and luxuries of Rice county
people.
Lyons is the fit capital of such prosper
Gus, progressive county. She is forging
steadily ahead to a high place among the
towns of central and Western Kansas. She
is not town of the "Jonah's gourd'
variety. She did not grow up in night,
neither will she wither in a night. She
has taken nearly ten years to reach her
present population Of, but she is
growing with constantly increasing speed.
Not less than - dwellings have been
begun since January first Many of them
are long ago complete in every detail and
occupied others are being pushed as rapid
ly as possible to secure the material and
workmen. One lumber yard alone is fur
nishing material for forty three houses,
while the others of the trio are equally
busy. Some of these dwellings are hand
some structures which would do credit to
any city; all are neat, tasty and homelike.
Besides tie home building the business
part of the city is being in large measure
"made over" The former stores and
business houses on the south side of the
public square have been removed bodily
or torn down, and a fine brick block
three hundred feet long by deep is
to take their place. The First National bank
leads off with three story building
at the east end Some of the others will
be two-story, but all of uniform style of
with fronts of cut stone, glass
and iron. The west side of the square is
also undergoing the same process of de-
and rebuilding. The Masonic
order will have fine three story temple on
the north end The Electric Light and
Power Company will also have their build
ing on this side, ETC., etc. The cellars for
these two three hundred feet blocks are
dug, the contracts let, brick and stone
for. and work being pushed
rapidly In addition to these solid blocks,
various business houses have been enlarged
to meet the demands of enlarging trade.
Much more is being planned and will
surely be built, but as we do not believe in
the chickens before the hen has,
1t least, begun to set, mention OF them is
deferred till some time in the future
A good evidence of our prosperity is
'ound in the fact that Lyons is calling for
increased banking facilities. With the
Bank of Lyons, the First National and the
Exchange Bank, all doing good business,
he former is called on just now to increase
IS capital by one-half. This will make it,
With one exception, the heaviest
'anking institution. with the exception of
ne at Larned, in western Ksnsas So we
row.